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YNW Bortlen took a plea deal earlier this week after being accused of murdering his friends, YNW Juvy and YNW Sakchaser, almost seven years ago. Following the deal, one of his lawyers has denied that the rapper is snitching on his co-defendant, YNW Melly.

Bortlen (real name Cortlen Henry) pleaded no contest to one count of tampering with a witness, two counts of being an accessory to a capital felony, and one count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device.

This resulted in the dismissal of two counts of first-degree murder, one count of witness tampering, and directing the activities of a criminal gang.

Juvy and Sakchaser died in October 2018, with police pinning the blame on Bortlen and Melly. Naturally, news about Bortlen’s plea, resulting in just a 10-year sentence, has brought up rumours of him going against Melly.

However, his attorney, Fred Haddad, has denied those allegations. “I don’t represent snitches,” he said. “Cortlen Henry is not a snitch, and he will not be cooperating or testifying in YNW Melly’s trial. Anyone who claims differently has not seen the plea deal and has no idea what they’re talking about.”

His other lawyer, Joseph E Nascimento, previously told Pitchfork, “It’s important to note that Cortlen pled no contest today, so he has not admitted anything.

“There is no requirement or expectation that he cooperate with the prosecution against his co-defendant in the case, nor do I anticipate that he will be called as a witness by either side, so his plea should not be construed as an admission of any kind, nor can it be used against him or anybody else.”

Melly is facing a life sentence or the death penalty, with his retrial set to begin in January 2027 after the first ended with a hung jury.